It was Navy’s sixth straight loss (its longest losing streak since losing 10 in a row in 2002) — not to mention its worst overall performance and lowest scoring output in 2011 — dropping the Mids to 2-6 overall and putting their hopes of a ninth-consecutive bowl game appearance in serious jeopardy.

This was a Navy team that came into the game with the nation’s No. 3 rushing attack, averaging 325.1 yards on the ground, while the Irish were ranked 58th against the run. But did that ever change in a hurry for both sides.

Continually torpedoed by the Irish defense, Navy was held to 196 rushing yards and just 33 yards in the air in sophomore quarterback Trey Miller’s first career start for the Midshipmen, replacing injured starter Kriss Proctor.

Notre Dame running back Jonas Gray ran for three touchdowns and 69 ... more >

“I’m not going to make any excuses,” Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “That’s the 14th time I’ve played Notre Dame and that’s the most thorough butt-whipping we’ve gotten.”

To make matters worse, Navy’s defense let Notre Dame have its way both on the ground and in the air, giving up 442 total yards (260 passing, 182 rushing), including seven rushing touchdowns, the most the Irish have scored in a game in nearly 20 years.

“We haven’t won a game since early September and I know that’s definitely dawning on the guys and it’s dawning on me, being the captain and thinking about what this program means and what it’s about,” said Navy defensive end and team captain Jabaree Tuani.

For all intents and purposes, the game was over by the end of the first half, with Notre Dame holding a 35-7 edge. Running backs Jonas Gray and Cierre Wood paced the Irish with two touchdowns apiece in the first two quarters. Meanwhile, Navy managed just one touchdown — a 9-yard pass from Miller to Gee Gee Greene — (and a failed 47-yard field goal attempt) on seven first-half drives.

Rather than invigorate the Midshipmen, trailing 14-7, Greene’s score did nothing but tick Notre Dame off. On the first play of the next series, quarterback Tommy Rees connected on a season-high 56-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Floyd, putting the Irish ahead 21-7.

And then came the biggest and most embarrassing mistake for the Midshipmen. On the ensuing Irish kickoff, Navy’s Marcus Thomas let the ball bounce in front of him, touch his body, then fail to gain control of it, allowing Notre Dame to recover it on the Mids’ 22. Four plays later, the Irish went ahead 28-7 on a 2-yard run by Gray.

Notre Dame unquestionably had a chip on its shoulder coming into the game, still smarting from the embarrassing 31-17 loss to the University of Southern California last week. The Irish were looking to hit someone and, unfortunately, the Midshipmen were their punching bag.

“We felt in the first couple of drives it was important to get off to a good start after not getting off to a good start against USC,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. “We scripted some plays out, some plays that we wanted to get to and we were able to get to them and have some success early on.”

Things didn’t stop there, however. In the third quarter, wide receiver Michael Floyd scored his second TD of the game and ND went ahead 42-7. It was time for the Irish to send in the second team, while Navy began looking for the exits as much as many of the Irish fans that wanted to beat the post-game traffic.

Early in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame continued its onslaught — it apparently likes picking on service academies, as it defeated Air Force two weeks ago 59-33 — with a 5-yard scoring run by Gray, his third of the game.